The horticulture team at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has credited Air-Pot as providing a significant breakthrough in protecting some of Scotland’s most important botanical specimens during its recent restoration project.
Built in 1834 and 1858, the Garden’s iconic A-listed Palm Houses were closed in 2021 for a major restoration programme to take place, with all plants removed for safekeeping.
Sadie Barber, Deputy Curator, Glasshouses, Indoor Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, explains: “The use of the Air-Pot system has been a complete gamechanger for our horticulture team, transforming how we cared for our largest plants during the Palm House restoration works.
“These statuesque palms and ferns are an important part of our Living Collection, so a system that protected both plants and root systems was essential.
“The Air-Pot container delivered exactly what we needed. Their ingenious design kept the plants in excellent condition, even after years in containers, ready for their safe return home to the Palm Houses this year.”
The specialist renovation work included repairing 600m² of corroded ironwork, replacing 5,750 panes of glass and rebuilding significant areas of sandstone – all essential to safeguarding Scotland’s National Botanical Collection for future generations.
Before the work could begin, 800 plants, including towering palms and tree ferns, were carefully removed and rehoused. Protecting these statuesque specimens, some reaching several metres in height, required a container system that could maintain excellent root health over several years. This was Air-Pot.
Georgie Single, Sales & Marketing Representative at Air-Pot, which also has its headquarters in Edinburgh, says: “We are so delighted and immensely proud our Air-Pot containers delivered the perfect solution for this amazing work to take place. They played a huge role in safeguarding historically and scientifically significant plants during the Garden’s ambitious conservation project.
“This project was the most significant restoration of the Botanics’ A-listed Palm Houses in nearly 200 years. The horticulture team faced extraordinary logistical and horticultural challenges. It was so inspiring to see our 21st century technology supporting the successful return of these majestic specimens to their restored Palm Houses.”
Air-Pot containers are pioneering root-air-pruning technology designed to produce healthy, vigorous root systems for plants of all sizes.
Air-Pot is designed to eliminate root circling, promote a strong fibrous root system and support long-term plant resilience – performance features that became essential during the Garden’s multi-year decant and replanting process.
Used by growers, nurseries, botanic gardens and research institutions worldwide, the system enhances growth, resilience, and long-term plant performance.
The Palm House restoration project has recently reached completion, with the focus now shifting to replanting and landscaping ahead of the Palm Houses’ public reopening in autumn 2026.
The 40 largest specimens have already been safely replanted in the newly unified and climate-resilient glasshouse environment.
The Palm Houses’ revitalised structure with upgraded glazing, climate-resilient drainage and the removal of a 130-year-old internal partition will now offer visitors a unified and immersive experience.
The new planting scheme reflects both Victorian botanical traditions and the Garden’s modern research, showcasing palms, ferns, begonias and understorey species.
As the Living Collection is reintroduced throughout spring and summer 2026, Air-Pot has played a behind-the-scenes yet vital role in ensuring these plants remained in optimum condition.
For further details visit www.air-pot.com/nursery/
